From here via here. Rumor has it this was done by Gary Lyons, but I cannot seem to confirm this or find an email address for him. In my defense, though, I didn’t try very hard. I leave it to my devoted minions if the interest motivates you. My friend Fred Bremmer tells me that Gary Lyons did indeed make this. The original is on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150651175025753&set=a.476615725752.248737.562230752&type=1.

Also? Neil would win. He’s like 15 cm taller and has 20 kilos on me.

[Edited to add: Hmmm. When that picture was taken I was holding, and using, a 1/2 Watt green laser that was powerful enough to ignite a pack of matches and pop balloons. That might even the odds.]

OK, clearly this is the beginning of Must-See-Internet-TV. What is needed is a contest on the Astronomy Cast podcast on both Astronomy and definitely non-astronomy questions (maybe religion?) Fraser Cain, Emily Lakdawalla and Pamela Gay moderate.

Or, it’s a 2v2 format, with Lakdawalla/Plait v Gay/Tyson or Lakdawalla/Tyson (repping the Planetary Society) v Gay/Plait and Fraser Cain moderating. (I would suggest Gay/Lakdawalla v Plait/Tyson but I want to give Phil and Neil at least some chance to win, and that might be stacking the deck against them a little too much.)